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River Boarding
View from our Condo patio.
Looking across crater snows atop South Sister
Double Falls on Tumalo Creek
Pilote Butte is this huge mound of rock and dirt that just sticks up in the middle of the city. It's a nice small hike, roundtrip of 45 minutes. At the top you can see for miles around and get a even neater look at the mountains. You can drive up or walk or even bike ride. Water. A sweatshirt or jacket in case the wind picks up. A camera for shots of the awesome views up there.
In a recent edition of "Outside" magazine it was rated one of the top twenty places to live for an outdoors enthusiast and rated #1 place to live for lovers of hiking... I agree, I loved it there. A charming town by looks and character indeed.
I really got scared in the Boyd lava Tube and so decided to head back into town and hike up Pilote Butte, a great hill with awesome views of the city and surrounding enviromental wonders.
This Hotel Chain is my favorite thing about the Northwest and their, Pubs, Theaters, Hotels, and a great many other things cannot be superseded by anything else. Each is unique, extremely quirky and fun, the Working Mans Resort.
South Sister - Oregon's third highest peak at 10358 feet - is but a serious walk up in the late summer. The way starts out as a grinder - the first mile and a half you sweat your way up a forested gulley. Use mind games to play for time and take your attention off the strain in the lower right calf.
Just as boredom threatens to take hold, you emerge onto a vast sandy plateau. To your right, you can see the blue waters of Moraine Lake, quite in contrast to the forest and sands. Straight ahead, looms South Sister. You have some climbing to do!
Crossing the plateau you don't gain a lot of elevation. You quickly make up for that. The trail goes only up now.
But as you gain elevation, you gain views to the south and west. A living map is unveiled. You sweat, to be sure, but now your sweat has immediate rewards.
At 8850 feet, you reach a saddle. To your left, the small Clark Glacier lies below you. To your right, the Lewis Glacier overlooks a small terminal cirque lake.
You resume your climb. More dusty sand - one foot up and a half back. Finally you reach the crater's south rim. The vast caldera atop is laid out in front of you.
For the short late summer season, the turquoise waters of Teardrop Pool shimmer. Don't bring your fishing poles, though. You won't really need them.
Around the east rim, you find the technical high point of Oregon's third highest peak. To the northern rim you go for views expanding far to the distance. Volcanic peaks line the horizon like gigantic 18th Century men-of-war on the seas. Lake glisten far below.
For the northern view see the title picture.
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